A comparison of three measures of perceived distress: results from a study of angina patients in general practice in Northern Ireland.

OBJECTIVE To establish the effect of health education on the level of distress felt by patients with angina and to compare the results obtained using different measures. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial of personal health education given every four months. SETTING Eighteen general practices in the greater Belfast area. SUBJECTS These comprised 688 patients aged less than 75 years and known to have had angina for at least six months: 342 were randomised to receive education and 346 no education. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES These were the Nottingham health profile (NHP), functional limitation profile (FLP), and a simple categorical scale (SCS). RESULTS The intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement in health relative to the control group in terms of physical mobility and social isolation using the NHP. In terms of overall wellbeing, both the NHP and SCS results showed the intervention group had experienced statistically significant improvements in health relative to the control group. Results obtained using the NHP, FLP, and SCS were found to be correlated regardless of whether weighted or unweighted scores were used. CONCLUSION The intervention produced a significant improvement in health status. Results from different survey instruments were correlated using both weighted and unweighted scores. An SCS was capable of detecting the improvement in health status.